Detroit POE Experience & update on life in Princeton NC

[dbears 1]

Paumanhin sa lahat ng napangakuan ko ng POE experience, got so busy the past days kaya super late na ito... but as the old over use adage goes: Better late than never.

DAVAO/Sept 2: Crying, crying and more crying as we bid our final goodbye to our family and relatives @ the airport... I was never asked for any travel documents for my kids. I just showed them my kids passports and our tickets and that was it.

MANILA/Sept 4: Same thing in Davao, I was not asked to present any travel documents for my kids except for the passports and visa. No permit from DSWD or anything not even birth certificates. Everything had been very smooth for us. the only thing that was a little frustrating was knowing that all the NWA tickets bought before August 2008 was supposed to have 72lbs baggage weight allowance for each of the 2 free baggage for each ticketed passengers... We had 6 checked in luggage (2 for each of us: me and the 2 kids) weighing 22kgs or less, I spent time making sure it will not go beyond the new baggage policy, had I known I was not covered by that yet(bought ticket first week of june), I would have brought so much more .

DETROIT/Sept 4: Arrived safe and sound after the long flight from Manila to Nagoya to Detroit. Had to lined up in the visitors line coz the Filipina lady assisting new arrivals insisted that fiancee visa holders and even new immigrants are still considered visitors... Lo and behold we were asked to transfer to another line after a few minutes of lining up. The immigration officer looked at our papers for awhile then asked a few questions then he told me to go to the special immigration section (the blue line- 3rd time lining up) where a few new immigrants were already lined up. When it was our turn, the immigration officer asked me why we were sent there and I told him the other officer told me it was for the re-verification of our packets. The new immigration officer browsed through our papers and then told me to go to a lady officer who in turn gave me a number to call so my kids could get new skin test and xray. After that she let us go and wished us well.

All in all, our travel had been ok, no hassles and we met a few good samaritans who helped us with our carry ons and also met a few filipinos who was so game to go with us and ride the detroit aiport tram (a small train inside the aiport that travels from one end to the other) just for fun .. I felt God has been holding us in His protective hands every step of the way.

The reception we received from the people here are so overwhelming. All the relatives was even there for my son's birthday party 2 days after our arrival (Ricky's mom organize the birthday party which was also our welcome party).. some of the relatives even gave my daugther gifts also just so she wouldn's feel left out.. and I received kitchen wares which was already arranged in our house before we arrived, they even stocked up rice and other things just for us. Even Ricky was amazed by the gestures of everybody especially his mom who never cared for any of his ex-wives before... Words simply could not describe my gratitude for everybody here... even up to now, 9 days after our arrival, we are still recieving special additional gifts from Ricky's relatives... be it be additional bed sheets, curtains, fetching the kids, etc.

The kids have started school last tuesday and their new teachers and new classmates have welcomed them warmly... my son even received straight A's for his school work this week.. I just hope it continues to be so for the rest of the year.

There are still so many things to do.. so many things to prepare here... I will probably be very busy for the next few weeks and still won't be able to be on vj as often as I would have wanted to be. Ricky has gone back to work, we moved our wedding date to november to allow for more time for preparation.... I still wash by hands, Ricky has made a clothesline for me coz I told him I don't want to waste the NC sunshine and it will also help save electricity... had salted dried fish early this morning (Ricky tried it even if he totally disliked the smell).. had salted eggs yesterday... visited the filipino store in raleigh last sunday.. visited grand asian store also so at least I am not really missing out on filipino foods here... the kids are adjusting just fine and the best thing is me and Ricky are really working on improving our relationship before we say "I do".. yes our wait is extended but we are hoping and praying that it will be for the very best.

Thanks to everybody who has shared our journey with us..I am not saying goodbye to VJ, just taking a short vacation for awhile (there is just a lot of cleaning up to do and fixin up of stuffs here. How can a man live alone for years ) I wish everybody the best of luck and prayers in whatever step of visa process you are in right now.

God bless everyone... till next time. (((HUGS)))

[DARUMA07 25]

Welcome to America! Glad that your trip went smoothly and that you and the kids are adjusting well... The first year will have it's challenges, but with alot of hard work and a understanding husband, you will get through it just fine... Good Luck to you and your family!

[beejay 123]

Congratulations on such a seamless adjustment. Hope the coming days also go as well.

Welcome to the U.S.!

[acobnamia1224 0]

Welcome to USA.... thanks for your prayers when i was down and struggled with my petition for my fiance... SHE too

will enter Detriot as her POE on the 26th of September so i hope she will have the same experience as you... God bless you and your family... ohh yeah!! quick question, did you have to pay the 1620 travel tax???

Edited September 13, 2008 by acobnamia1224

[AllRightsReserved 0]

Hi Gaye! what a very touching welcome for you and the kids....I find it funny with them stocking rice for you.LOL..that's good they know Filipinos are powered by rice.

Wow, kids started school already? that would be so much of adjusting for sure but things would be fine for a great mom like you.

Dried fish? how did Ricky liked the smell?

Congratulations sis for the successful POE. Sana naman ganyan din kami ng kids ko.

Edited September 13, 2008 by AllRightsReserved

[sunandmoon 450]

[belay 0]

Welcome to USA :joy:

[STEPHnRIA 2]

Nice to hear from you again Gay! So happy for you!

[nicksNbrian 0]

welcome to USA!!!! and best wishes on your upcoming wedding.

[dbears 1]

Welcome to America! Glad that your trip went smoothly and that you and the kids are adjusting well... The first year will have it's challenges, but with alot of hard work and a understanding husband, you will get through it just fine... Good Luck to you and your family!

Congratulations on such a seamless adjustment. Hope the coming days also go as well.

Welcome to the U.S.!

Thanks for the welcome ... I certainly hope everything will be ok especially when winter time comes... so far we could take the weather coz it has been raining and then very hot, just like the way it was in the Philippines so no adjustment on that area yet.. the first few days has been a struggle with keeping awake in day time and sleeping at night time becoz of the different time zones.. but i think our body clock has been cooperating fairly easy. I just hope this will be our sole biggest adjustment... everybody has been very accomodating and super hospitable so far, even my future mom in law has bought her own rice cooker so she could cook rice for us when we go visit her this coming Sunday.

Welcome to USA.... thanks for your prayers when i was down and struggled with my petition for my fiance... SHE too

will enter Detriot as her POE on the 26th of September so i hope she will have the same experience as you... God bless you and your family... ohh yeah!! quick question, did you have to pay the 1620 travel tax???

yes sir, paid it in advance at the local Philippine Travel Tax office in Davao so there was less hassle when we were at the airport.. if she could go to the local office in her place i would recommend she just go and pay the travel tax there... but if she bought the ticket in the Philippines, the travel tax is usually included already. we booked and bought tickets on nwa.com so there was a need to really pay the travel tax separately.

Good luck to you and your fiancee, happy reunion soonest.

Hi Gaye! what a very touching welcome for you and the kids....I find it funny with them stocking rice for you.LOL..that's good they know Filipinos are powered by rice.

Wow, kids started school already? that would be so much of adjusting for sure but things would be fine for a great mom like you.

Dried fish? how did Ricky liked the smell?

Congratulations sis for the successful POE. Sana naman ganyan din kami ng kids ko.

It was touching indeed .. ricky lived alone for several years and alam nu naman ang bahay na walang babae so his aunts and cousins came out to help him clean the house and get it ready for our arrival.. grabe talaga I was and still am very very touch by all they have done for us.

The kids only had 4 days break tapos school na kaagad, we enrolled them monday last week and the school admin even wanted them to start right off but we decided to let them start school tuesday na so we could buy thier supplies.. they are doing ok naman so far... they will start riding the bus this coming monday and hopefully everything will turn out welll for them.

dried fish was aromatic for me but ricky thought it was AWFUL!!! I had to spray the room twice to remove the smell,,, pero nasusuka man cya, napilitan parin siya kumain (posted pictures sa friendster)

don't worry sis, you and the kids will be ok when the time comes... I will pray for your coming medical and interview.

Thanks Roy... so far I don't have a need for the handcuffs yet.. but, well, who knows... so just reserve one for me, i might need to order one someday.

[envy_me 18]

welcome to america gaye!!!!

my POE was detroit too..

i know that filipina lady who welcomed and assisted u at POE..

she welcomed and assisted me too..

[beejay 123]

Welcome to America! Glad that your trip went smoothly and that you and the kids are adjusting well... The first year will have it's challenges, but with alot of hard work and a understanding husband, you will get through it just fine... Good Luck to you and your family!

Congratulations on such a seamless adjustment. Hope the coming days also go as well.

Welcome to the U.S.!

Thanks for the welcome ... I certainly hope everything will be ok especially when winter time comes... so far we could take the weather coz it has been raining and then very hot, just like the way it was in the Philippines so no adjustment on that area yet.. the first few days has been a struggle with keeping awake in day time and sleeping at night time becoz of the different time zones.. but i think our body clock has been cooperating fairly easy. I just hope this will be our sole biggest adjustment... everybody has been very accomodating and super hospitable so far, even my future mom in law has bought her own rice cooker so she could cook rice for us when we go visit her this coming Sunday.

My husband just went through his first winter this past Jan. He got through it ok and even enjoyed some of it Kids appreciate winter the best, they will have a blast playing in the snow

Edited September 14, 2008 by beejay

[Honey&Sweety 1]

Hi, dbears, thanx for a very touching stories from your POE and your warm welcome from your fiance`s family. I been reading your post since I joined VJ and its been very helpful for me when my fiance and I were preparing for our visa process. I know we have a long way to go in our visa process but because of all the posts here in VJ it keeps us hopeful that someday our approval will come soon.I will be keeping your POE posts since Detroit might be my POE also.I`m not sure of that because I really don`t know who issue POE? my fiance`s place is in Dearborn City, MI. Anyways,,,,,,,,,,,,,Good luck sa new life mo dyan sa America, Congratulations and Best wishes on your upcoming wedding. We`ll wait til your next post when you`re not busy. Until here! May God richly bless you and your fiance and your whole family with never ending blessings........ :joy:

[sj_soulm8ts 0]

Ahhh Gay thanks for posting my much awaited POE Experience of yours!!! Bitaw, naga-atang jud ko ani post nimo bah since you left for the US, kumbaga stalker na jud ko nimo LOL! Seriously Im so glad to hear from you again. Salamat kaau sa pag share sa imo experience coz it will help me surely preparing for my own trip soon. And how i wished we bought my ticket before Aug `08 to avail for 72lbs free luggage allowance, coz I´m having hard time now to squeeze in all my stuff in my suitcases while making sure it wont gain weight that much but sad to say it´s impossible! Maybe I have to avail cargo services, huhu... Anyways, lipay kaayo ko for you and your kids Gay, with all those warm and loving people (Riki´s family ang firends) surrounding you there seem like everything is going well for you all, which you just deserve! And one more thing Im happy about is your new wedding schedule, which means there´s possibility for me to be there on that day, sowwy, ako2x na jud nag-invite sa ako sarili sa inyo wedding LOL ! Ours by the way will be in December pohon, possibly on New Years Eve, and of course you´re invited. Hmm unsa pa gani ako isulti, huna2x sa ko hehe... Oh yea, naa diay ko questions Gay, asa jud dapit mag-linya inig-abot sa Detroit? and asa dapit dri sa dvo ang Phil.travel tax ofc? Thnx in advance Gay, enjoy every single day with your love ones over there, God bless you more!ingatz permi, mwah!

Edited September 14, 2008 by sj_soulm8ts

[KC♥MP 0]

Glad to know you and your kids arrived safely . Wishing your family more of God's blessings.